The Mindset of a Wrestler Who Keeps Looking at the Clock During a Match
The mindset of a wrestler who keeps looking at the clock during a match is an outcome mindset. When a wrestler has an outcome mindset, they tend to orient their focus on the future instead of the present. In addition, an outcome mindset debilitates performance as these wresters orient their locus of control on external forces which they have no control over.
In doesn’t take a sports psychologist to tell you that this is a mindset that prevents peak performance. Yes, it’s true that clock awareness is vital for tactical decisions during a match. However, a wrestler does not need to continually glance at the clock to have clock awareness. Clock awareness must only be a by-product of overall mat awareness and never the focus of awareness.
Instead, the focus of awareness must be on the process of competing relentlessly to the final whistle regardless of the score and how much time is remaining. Ryan Holiday in his book “The Obstacle is the Way” explains the self-talk one needs for this mindset with near perfection:
Remember and remind yourself of a phrase favored by Epictetus: “persist and resist.” Persist in your efforts. Resist giving in to distraction, discouragement, or disorder.
There’s no need to sweat this or feel rushed. No need to get upset or despair. You’re not going anywhere–you’re not going to be counted out. You’re in this for the long haul.
Because when you play all the way to the whistle, there’s no reason to worry about the clock. You know you won’t stop until it’s over–that every second available is yours to use. So temporary setbacks aren’t discouraging. They are just bumps along a long road that you intend to travel all the way down.
My suggestion to any wrestler who has a problem continually looking at the clock or focusing too much on the outcome is to print out these words. Then use them as part of a mental skills training routine as a daily mantra to practice the self-talk they need to switch to a process mindset.